Department for Transport

Railways: North of England

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of (1) electrification, and (2) other improvements, for projects included in the Integrated Rail Plan relating to the (a) Midland Main Line, and (b) TransPennine, line upgrades.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Within the £96 billion set out in the Integrated Rail Plan, £1.4 billion has been allowed for electrifying the Midland Main Line; £5.4 billion has been allowed for the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) base scope, including full electrification; £17.2 billion has been allowed for the Northern Powerhouse Rail core network from Liverpool to York which includes the TRU Option G enhancement.

Railways: North of England

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the (1) ownership, and (2) sponsoring, structure for the improvements outlined in the Integrated Rail Plan; and what is the involvement of (a) Network Rail, (b) HS2 Ltd, (c) The Northern Powerhouse, and (d) Transport for the North; and what consultation they intend to undertake on the Plan.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department will ask Network Rail to lead work, with input from HS2 Ltd, on schemes to upgrade the conventional existing rail network and option assessment on how best to take HS2 trains to Leeds.HS2 Ltd is progressing the Western Leg hybrid Bill and will prepare legislation for the proposed high speed route from the West Midlands to the East Midlands. It is also expected to lead the next stages of work on the new line sections of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).Transport for the North will continue to fulfil an important role on the NPR programme providing strategic advice and direction to the programme in line with their core statutory function through a joint sponsor role.The Department will seek to engage representatives from the North and Midlands, including the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, throughout the development of the work outlined in the Integrated Rail Plan.

Railways: North of England

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a comparison of journey times for travel between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, York and Hull, using the options included in the Integrated Rail Plan.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) includes journey time information between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, York and Hull and has been stored in the Library of the House. IRP proposals will reduce journey times between Manchester and Leeds by 22 minutes, Liverpool and Manchester by 15 minutes and Liverpool and Leeds by 33 minutes. Trains from Hull and York to Manchester and Liverpool will also see faster journey times.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government which parts of HS2 Phase 2B have been cancelled.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As set out in the Integrated Rail Plan we will take forward the Phase 2b Western Leg. We will also progress a new high speed line to the East Midlands and electrify the Midland Mainline, enabling HS2 trains reach Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield. We are investing £100 million in development work on the West Yorkshire mass transit system, as well as looking at the most effective way to run HS2 trains to Leeds.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on (1) the operational costs of HS2, and (2) ticket prices, as a result of the recent increase in energy prices.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: There has been no specific assessment of the impact of recent increases in energy prices on HS2 operating costs. HS2 is not due to be operational until between 2029 to 2033, and it is uncertain if the current energy price fluctuations will still be relevant at this time. Operational cost predictions, including energy prices, are updated regularly and future analysis will use the most relevant energy price projections. Detailed decisions on HS2 fares and services will be taken nearer to when the railway commences operation.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the latest (1) capital cost, (2) revenue forecasts, and (3) Benefit-Cost Ratio, assumed in the continuing use of HS2 Phase 1 and 2A, (a) with, and (b) without, the inclusion of HS2 Phase 2B West.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As noted in the most recent Parliamentary Report, the overall Phase One cost is estimated in the range of £35bn to £45bn, with a Target Cost established of £40.3bn (2019 prices). The overall Phase 2a cost is currently estimated as in the range of £5-7bn (2019 prices). The Department will be updating the Strategic Outline Business Case for Phase 2b Western Leg which will include a refresh of the Phase 1 and 2a assessment published in April 2020. This will be published alongside the deposit of the Western Leg hybrid bill.

Railways: Passengers

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the forecast of passenger demand growth used in the preparation of the Integrated Rail Plan for (1) local, and (2) long, distance services; and what account have they taken of the changes in demand caused by COVID-19.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government’s key assumption is that rail demand will continue to grow but passenger demand over the period between now and 2050 is inevitably uncertain. However, the Government agrees with the NIC that the pandemic is unlikely to put an end to the need to travel between our towns and cities over the longer term. Our adaptive approach towards the core network enables us to respond to any future uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the investments being considered here are long term, and typically take a decade or more to deliver.

Electric Scooters: Hire Services

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many e-scooters are available to the public through rental trials.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Data currently held by the Department indicates that there were 22,644 e-scooters available to rent across all trial areas at the end of October.

Electric Scooters

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of private e-scooters sold in each of the past three years.

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of private e-scooters being used on public roads.

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce legislation to legalise the private use of e-scooters; and if so, when they plan to do so.

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were injured in collisions involving e-scooters in (1) 2020, and (2) 2021, to date.

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that retailers are advising their customers of the law regarding the use of private e-scooters in the UK.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department estimates that 750,000 private e-scooters are owned across England based on survey results from the DfT Transport Technology Tracker. The Department is running trials of rental e-scooters to assess their safety and wider impacts. Trials are live in 31 areas. The evidence gathered during the trials will inform whether e-scooters should be legalised, and how we can ensure their use is as safe as possible. Until we have that evidence we cannot commit to a legislative timetable.There were 484 casualties in reported road accidents involving at least one e-scooter vehicle in Great Britain in 2020. Information currently held by the Department provisionally indicates that there have been 530 casualties in reported road accidents involving at least one e-scooter vehicle in Great Britain in the first six months of 2021.The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy leads on ensuring responsible business practices, but Ministers from this Department wrote to retailers of e-scooters in December 2018 reminding them of their obligations. In July of this year, Rachel Maclean MP wrote again to retailers sharing with them the Department’s concerns that retailers are not providing clear, visible and consistent information, to ensure that their customers understand the law. She asked them to work with their sales and marketing teams to ensure that they are familiar with our guidance on privately owned e-scooters, to ensure that their customers are not misinformed, inadvertently or otherwise, about the law which applies to the use of e-scooters.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Business: Climate Change

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote good practice in combating climate change to (1) listed, and (2) unlisted, companies.

Lord Callanan: The Government is working with listed and unlisted companies to encourage ambitious action on climate change.ListedFrom 6 April 2022 the UK will become the first G20 country to enshrine in law mandatory Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)-aligned requirements for Britain’s largest companies and financial institutions to report on climate-related risks and opportunities, subject to Parliamentary approval of regulation laid on 28th October 2021.Over 1,300 of the largest UK-registered companies and financial institutions will have to disclose climate-related financial information on a mandatory basis – in line with recommendations from the TCFD. This will include many of the UK’s largest traded companies, banks and insurers, as well as private companies with over 500 employees and £500 million in turnover.We are requiring more disclosure and transparency in the markets on climate risks and opportunities through the introduction of Sustainability Disclosure Requirements, as outlined in Greening Finance: A Roadmap to Sustainable Investing. These bring together and streamline UK sustainability reporting requirements, including reporting aligned with the Taskforce for Climate-Related Financial Disclosures recommendations.As announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer at COP26, listed companies will also be required to publish transition plans that consider the Government’s net zero commitment or provide an explanation if they have not done so. As standards for transition plans emerge, the Government and regulators will take steps to incorporate these into the UK’s Sustainability Disclosure Requirements and strengthen requirements to encourage consistency in published plans and increased adoption by 2023.Unlisted Ahead of COP 26, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister launched the Together for our Planet Business Climate Leaders’ campaign. The aim of the campaign is to encourage small businesses to make a net zero commitment via the UK Business Climate Hub and get help and advice on reducing their emissions. Tens of thousands of small and micro businesses were reached through this initiative and over 2,400 UK small businesses have pledged to go green and reduce their emissions.

Business Premises: Human Rights

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they (1) audit, and (2) monitor, the commercial UK real estate holdings of companies directly associated with regimes with poor human rights records.

Lord Callanan: Monitoring of individuals, and any companies they may be associated with, for human rights abuses overseas is a matter for FCDO and HM Treasury, under the recently introduced Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020.

Northern Ireland Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Caine on 23 November (HL3800), how many internment-related civil claims for compensation for unlawful detention have been received by the Northern Ireland Office arising from the Supreme Court judgement of 13 May 2020 in the case of R vs Adams (Appellant) (Northern Ireland); and who signed the 1973 interim custody order.

Lord Caine: There are currently approximately 300 to 400 internment-related civil claims against the Northern Ireland Office brought on a similar basis to that of the case of R vs Adams. As noted in the Supreme Court judgement of 13 May 2020 in the case of R vs Adams, the 1973 order was signed by a Minister of State in the Northern Ireland Office.

Ministry of Justice

Custodial Treatment: Costs

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) direct, and (2) indirect, costs of imprisonment; what alternatives, if any, they are considering; and what steps are they taking, if any, to promote these alternatives.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The direct cost of holding offenders in Custody for 2019-20 in England and Wales was £2.4bn. The indirect costs for the year were £1.1bn. The overall cost was therefore calculated at £3.5bn. These figures were taken from the latest published Prison Unit Cost statistics (Cost per prison place and Cost per prisoner). The Government is clear that delivering public protection is not just about better use of custody. In many cases – particularly for low-level offending – effective community supervision keeps the public safer by intervening early to deflect offenders away from future offending and so prevent future victims. The Government’s Sentencing White Paper, published in September 2020, set out an agenda of reform for punishing and rehabilitating low level offenders. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which is currently before Parliament, is delivering on reforms to make community sentences more robust and effective, so that they offer an appropriate level of punishment and address the underlying drivers of offending where appropriate. This will be achieved by piloting a problem-solving court approach for certain community and suspended sentence orders, closer supervision of certain offenders, and the option for tougher and more flexible use of electronically monitored curfews to better reflect the punishment intended, better support rehabilitation, and better protect victims.

Islam: Marriage

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether British Muslim women have the rights set out in paragraph nine of Resolution 2253 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, published on 22 January 2019, specifically in relation (1) to obtaining the protection of legal marriage, and (2) to discriminatory practices in relation to religious divorce.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The law has long made provision for couples, including Muslim couples, to marry in their place of worship in a way that gives them legal rights and protections. The Government shares the concern that some people may nonetheless marry in a way that does not give them these legal rights and protections, without appreciating the consequences.We continue to explore limited reform and non-legislative options in this area with the greatest of care. This work will be informed by the forthcoming reports from the Law Commission on weddings, and from the Nuffield Foundation on religious weddings.

Human Rights Act Independent Review

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the report of their review of the Human Rights Act 2001 will be published.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: In line with our manifesto commitment, the Government plans to overhaul the Human Rights Act (HRA) to make sure it meets the needs of the society it serves and commands public support. The Government established the Independent Human Rights Act Review to examine the framework of the HRA, how it is operating in practice and whether any change is required. We have received the Panel’s report and are carefully considering its conclusions as part of a wider reform programme. We will publish the Panel’s report imminently and will consult on any proposed legislative changes.

Windrush Compensation Scheme

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enable those pursuing claims through the Windrush Compensation Scheme to receive legal aid.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The government has noted the recommendation of the Home Affairs Select Committee to consider the provision of specialist legal advice for applicants to the Windrush Compensation Scheme, potentially funded through legal aid. While we have no existing plans to expand the scope of the legal aid scheme to cover the Windrush Compensation Scheme, we will consider the recommendation in full and respond to the Home Affairs Select Committee in due course.

Prisoners' Release: Government Assistance

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what(1) financial, and (2) travel, support they provide to prisoners on release.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: All eligible prison leavers are provided with a Subsistence Payment (formerly Discharge Grant) of £76. Recently uplifted in August of this year from £46, the subsistence payment will increase year on year in line with the Consumer Price Index until 2024/25. We also work closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure prisoners have timely access to Universal Credit on their release from prison. All prison leavers are given a travel warrant or fares paid to their destination within the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland. An additional payment of up to £50 may also be paid directly to a genuine accommodation provider to help the prison leaver secure a release address. The Government is reviewing the Discharge policy (Prison Service Instruction 72/2011), to continue to make sure prison leavers receive adequate financial support in the first few days after release and before they might reasonably be able to access other legal sources of income such as applying for state benefits.

Prisoners: Per Capita Costs

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what istheir latest estimate of the weekly cost of keeping an individual in prison.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: An average cost per prisoner, costs per prison place and overall prison unit costs for each private and public sector prison in England and Wales are routinely published by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). This information is produced on an annual basis and is published after the end of each financial year on the gov.uk website. The overall average annual costs for keeping an individual in a prison is £42,670, which is taken from the latest published Prison Unit Cost statistics, for 2019-20. The average cost for a week would therefore be calculated as £818. Ministry of Justice (MoJ) expect the 2020-21 Prison Unit Cost statistics to be published early in 2022.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Myanmar: Arms Trade

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Joint Statement on increasing violence in Myanmar, published on 26 November, what steps they have taken to hold the statement’s signatories accountable for investments in companies that continue to arm the Myanmar military.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: All the signatories of the 26 November Joint Statement have made a public commitment to prevent the flow of arms to Myanmar. We are working with our partners to call on others to make similar commitments. The UK provides robust advice to UK companies and businesses to help them avoid exposure to military linked companies. We also have extensive targeted sanctions on the military's businesses. We will continue to encourage the wider international community to take similar measures.

Myanmar: Politics and Government

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Joint Statement on increasing violence in Myanmar, published on 26 November, what assessment they have made of whether the government of Australia is upholding its commitment “to suspend all operational support to the military”; and what representations they intend to make on that matter.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is working closely with international partners to keep a spotlight on escalating violence and serious human rights violations by the Myanmar Armed Forces. The Joint Statement on 26 November is a clear example of this close collaboration. The Australian Government does not provide operational support to the Myanmar military, and has been consistent in its calls for all countries to cease the transfer of arms to the military regime. We worked closely with Australia to secure the UN General Assembly Resolution on the situation in Myanmar on 18 June, which called on all UN Member States to prevent the flow of arms to Myanmar. We are working closely with Australia to put pressure on those who sell arms to the military regime.

Israel: West Bank

Baroness Janke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they plan to make to the government of Israel regarding house demolitions and confiscations by Israeli forces in the West Bank on 23 November.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The UK regularly raises the issue of demolitions, confiscations and forced evictions of Palestinians from their homes with the Government of Israel, most recently with Israel's Ministry of Defence on 19 October. We regularly call on Israel to halt such counterproductive activity and instead urgently commit to creating a better environment for a just and lasting peace.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Janke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Haaretz article What the Israeli Army Does to Soldiers Who Shoot Palestinians, published on 18 November, which states that 18 unarmed Palestinians have been killed or seriously injured by fire from Israeli forces without proper investigation or accountability.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Our Embassy in Tel Aviv raise cases of alleged excessive use of force with the Israeli Defence Forces directly. We raise the issue of the high numbers of Palestinians killed and injured by Israeli Defence Forces in the West Bank and Gaza with the Israeli authorities, encouraging them to carry out swift, transparent and thorough investigations. We also regularly raise the importance of the Israeli security force's adherence to the principles of necessity and proportionality when defending its legitimate security interest. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, in particular the need to protect children, and urge restraint in the use of live fire.

Yazidis: Crimes against the Person

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to recognise crimes committed against the Yazidis as genocide.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the briefing by Mr Karim Asad Ahmad Khan QC, published on 10 May, setting out the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability Against Da’esh/ISIL Crimes’ (UNITAD) (1) findings of “clear and convincing evidence that genocide was committed by ISIL against the Yazidi as a religious group”, and (2) statement that “The intent of ISIL to destroy the Yazidi, physically and biologically, is manifest in its ultimatum – applied remorselessly to all members of their community – to convert or die”; and what assessment they have made of the letter sent by Mr Khan QC to the President of the Security council on 3 May stating that UNITAD had identified 1,444 potential perpetrators of attacks against the Yazidi community.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by Daesh against all civilians, including Yazidis and other minorities, as well as the majority Muslim population in Syria and Iraq. We note the conviction in a German court on 30 November of a former Daesh fighter for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. We will continue to use our position at the UN, including as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to raise atrocity situations of concern and to support the deployment of all appropriate tools available to the UN in dealing with potential mass atrocities and conflict. Our focus is always on securing an end to violence and protecting civilians.The UK has contributed £2 million to the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh/ISIL (UNITAD), to gather evidence of Daesh crimes in Iraq. We continue to champion, and are committed to, UNITAD's work in gathering evidence of crimes. The UK contributes to the implementation of Iraq's Yazidi Survivor's law which was passed in March 2021 and we continue to work with a wide range of actors to ensure full implementation.

Gaza: Israel

Baroness Janke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they plan to make to the government of Israel regarding Israeli forces firing on fishermen in Gaza while they fish in their designated area.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We regularly raise the importance of the Israeli security force's adherence to the principles of necessity and proportionality when defending its legitimate security interest. We continue to stress to the Israeli authorities the damage that their restrictions on movement, access and trade are doing to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians.

Palestinians: Riot Control Weapons

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Israel concerning the use of (1) rubber bullets, and (2) tear gas, against Palestinian protestors.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation. In our dialogue with the Israeli authorities we have recognised their legitimate need to deploy security measures to address violence. We encourage them to deploy these in a way which minimises tension and uses appropriate force. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population.

Transcaucasus: Armed Conflict

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) reports ofmilitary attacks by Azerbaijan on or near the M2/E117 highway in Armenia; and (2) the humanitarian impact of these attacks for ethnic Armenians in (a) Syunik province, and (b) Nagorno-Karabakh.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government is closely monitoring the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border following the exchange of fire on 16 November. Our Embassies in Baku and Yerevan have continued to urge de-escalation and a return to negotiations facilitated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Through our Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the UK has condemned recent exchanges of fire that have put civilian lives and regional stability and security at risk. The Minister for Europe and Americas has met both the Armenian and Azerbaijani Ambassadors to London in recent weeks and reinforced these messages.

Armenia: Azerbaijan

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of military attacksby Azerbaijan in Sisian province.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government is closely monitoring the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border following the exchange of fire on 16 November. Our Embassies in Baku and Yerevan have continued to urge de-escalation and a return to negotiations facilitated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Through our Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the UK has condemned recent exchanges of fire that have put civilian lives and regional stability and security at risk. The Minister for Europe and Americas has met both the Armenian and Azerbaijani Ambassadors to London in recent weeks and reinforced these messages.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Deployment

Lord Coaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many UK armed forces personnel are currently deployed in the UK; and of these, to which local authorities they are deployed.

Baroness Goldie: As of the 9 December 2021, there were 1,022 personnel deployed on UK resilience tasks. They were deployed to the following locations: Wyton; Edinburgh; Leconfield; Cardiff; London; Aldershot; Manston; Sheerness; Glasgow; Coningsby; Liverpool; Catterick; Inchinnan; and Birmingham.

Armed Forces: Supply Chains

Lord Coaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many UK armed forces personnel are currently deployed in the UK to deal with the supply chain issues.

Baroness Goldie: As of 6 December 2021, there were 161 personnel deployed to assist with supply chain challenges. 137 Service personnel were deployed to support the continuity of fuel supplies around the UK. Defence has also provided 24 Defence Driving Examiners to assist the Department for Transport in their effort to enhance the number of tests offered to prospective HGV drivers in Great Britain and as a result generate more HGV drivers to service the UK in the run up to Christmas.

Diversity and Inclusion Directorate: Complaints

Lord Tunnicliffe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to remarks made byBaroness Goldieon 23 November (HL Deb, col 798), how many complaints of(1) bullying, (2) sexism, (3) sexual assault, (4) physical abuse, and (5) emotional abuse, have been made to the Diversity and Inclusion Directorate since it was formed in April; and how many of these complaints have resulted in (a) an inquiry being launched, and (b) a conviction.

Baroness Goldie: Complaints of this nature are not dealt with by the Diversity and Inclusion Directorate. For members of the Armed Forces, complaints of this nature can be raised and investigated in the form of a Service Complaint. Criminal allegations are referred to the Service Police for investigation. For Defence civilian staff, complaints of this nature can be raised and investigated by Defence Business Services' Civilian Human Resources. Where a complaint relates to an incident which may constitute a criminal offence, the matter is referred to the police.

Diversity and Inclusion Directorate: Telephone Services

Lord Tunnicliffe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to remarks made byBaroness Goldie on 23 November (HL Deb, col 798), how many calls have been made to the Diversity and Inclusion Directorate's bullying, harassment and discrimination helpline since its establishment in April.

Baroness Goldie: The wholeforce bullying, harassment and discrimination helpline was established in September 2020. Since opening, it has received 489 calls. 202 calls were made in the period April-October 2021.

Armed Forces: Compensation

Lord Tunnicliffe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Ministry of Defence has paid in mental health compensation to (1) armed forces personnel, and (2) veterans, in each year from 2015 to 2021.

Baroness Goldie: The information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Farms: Tenants

Baroness Rock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that tenant farmers on short-term, restrictive Farm Business Tenancies will not be constrained from entering newEnvironmental Land Management Schemes by their landlords.

Lord Benyon: Our approach to environmental land management is the cornerstone of our new agricultural policy. Farming efficiently and improving the environment can go hand in hand.The Government is working to ensure that the design of our future farming schemes is accessible to as many farmers as possible including tenant farmers. For example, we have designed the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme rules for 2022 to have shorter agreements and more flexibility, to better suit tenant farmers, and we have removed the requirement to demonstrate landlord consent. We are exploring and testing how our new schemes might work in practice across different types of holdings and different types and lengths of tenancy agreements.As part of the development of our new schemes, we have considered the needs of tenants and worked closely with a number of organisations including the Tenant Farmers Association, Country Land and Business Association and National Farmers' Union. We are looking into the problem raised, and will work with these organisations and other stakeholders, to understand whether there is anything we need to do to ensure tenants are not excluded from schemes.We are also working with tenants through our pilot, test and trials and user research.

Home Office

Citizenship: Ministerial Responsibility

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government which minister has cross-government responsibility for co-ordinating all matters relating to (1) citizenship, and (2) civic engagement.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Minister Kevin Foster has overall responsibility for matters relating to citizenship in the United Kingdom in the Home Office. This portfolio includes the current and future visa system, as well as immigration casework and nationality.DCMS is responsible for youth engagement across Government and provides grant funding for the UK Youth Parliament programme and Youth Engagement Grant. These are key programmes through which young people can engage with policy and decision-makers and have a say on issues that matter to them. The lead minister is Nigel Huddleston.DCMS is responsible for youth volunteering and social action across government, and supports the #iwill movement and the #iwill Fund, both of which aim to get 10 to 20 year-olds involved in volunteering, fundraising and campaigning in local communities

British Nationality: Assessments

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to update the Life in the UK test; and when the test was last updated.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Life in the UK test is based on the Life in the UK handbook, “Life in the UK: a guide for new residents”. An updated impression of the current edition of the handbook was published in early 2020.Questions in the test are reviewed on an ongoing basis. New questions were added between October 2020 and January 2021.The test is kept under review and will be updated further as needed.

Asylum: Females

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that there is single sex housing for uncoupled women at all points during the asylum process.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office provides accommodation and other support to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.Those receiving this support are not required to share sleeping quarters with unrelated individuals of the opposite sex, but may, depending on the circumstances, be placed in accommodation facilities which are used to house such individuals.There are no plans to change these arrangements.

Visas: British National (Overseas)

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to expand the British National (Overseas) (BNO) visa scheme to people from Hong Kong who (1) are aged between 18 and 25, and (2) have a parent with BN(O) status.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Hong Kong BN(O) route is for those with BN(O) status and their eligible family members including adult children who were born on or after 1 July 1997 and who live with their parents. This is grounded in the UK’s obligations to those who elected to retain ties to the UK by obtaining BN(O) status; and enables them to relocate as a family. We do not currently have any plans to change these requirements.Other routes are available to those without BN(O) status, including the undersubscribed Youth Mobility Scheme which offers 1,000 places each year to Hong Kongers and the new Skilled Worker Visa which enables individuals to come to the UK in a wider range of professions and at a lower general salary threshold than in the past.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Floods: Finance

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held at Cabinet level about the adequacy of emergency funding available to support communities affected by flooding.

Lord Greenhalgh: In the event of a major flood emergency in England the Secretary of State will liaise with Cabinet colleagues in relevant Departments, including Defra, BEIS and Treasury, to consider activation of i) the Bellwin Scheme, which can be used to provide funding to local authorities to cover the costs of immediate flood response work and ii) the Flood Recovery Framework which provides funding towards the costs of flood recovery for businesses and households.These schemes are well-established mechanisms which can provide timely and effective support to help communities to recover.

Cabinet Office

Government Departments: Ethnic Groups

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government which government departmentsdo not invite (1) job applicants, and (2) promotion candidates, to provide any information about their ethnicity.

Lord True: Government departments that use the Government Recruitment Service (GRS) vX recruitment system to track candidates will collect diversity data on all applicants.Candidates applying on promotion via an external campaign will not be asked questions on their ethnicity. They are, however, expected to complete the diversity questionnaire.

Treasury

Taxation

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide additional specialised support to (1) contractors, and (2) self-employed taxpayers, who are facing large tax liabilities.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: HMRC is working hard to help all taxpayers, including contractors and the self-employed, with large tax bills and temporary cash-flow issues, and to provide them with the support they need.HMRC’s longstanding Time to Pay policy allows taxpayers in temporary financial difficulty to schedule their tax debts into affordable and sustainable instalment arrangements with no maximum repayment period. These arrangements are flexible and can be amended if circumstances change. Individuals with Self-Assessment debts under £30,000 can apply online for a Time to Pay arrangements of up to 12 months.In addition, HMRC has a well-established Extra Support Service which is accessible to all taxpayers. Our customer service advisers have the skills to identify taxpayers who need extra help and to empathetically handle their queries and make reasonable adjustments.Any taxpayer concerned about their ability to pay should contact HMRC to discuss the support available.

Cryptocurrencies

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor fiat currency to cryptocurrency (1) deposits, and (2) withdrawals, to prevent cryptocurrencies from being used to (a) launder money, and (b) hide transactions in illicit markets.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Since 10 January 2020, UK cryptoasset exchange providers and custodian wallet providers have been in scope of the UK’s Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Regulations (MLRs) and Part 7 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. This means that firms in the UK which exchange cryptoassets for fiat currency and vice versa are required to register with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), carry out appropriate checks on their customers, and monitor for and report suspicious activity. These can be analysed by the UK Financial Intelligence Unit and made available to law enforcement agencies to investigate and take action when appropriate. The government has proposed to further extend the requirements placed on cryptoasset firms under the MLRs. HM Treasury recently consulted on the implementation of Recommendation 16 of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for transfers of cryptoassets.Pending the outcome of the consultation, the implementation of this Recommendation would extend the information sharing and record keeping requirements that apply to bank transfers to transfers of cryptoassets, and thereby further assist in the prevention and detection of money laundering.

Economic Situation: Equality

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to help reduce economic inequality.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Distributional analysis published at Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 shows that in 2024-25, tax, welfare and spending decisions made since Spending Round 2019 will have benefitted the poorest households most, as a percentage of income. The analysis also shows that in 2024-25, the poorest 60% of households will receive more in public spending than they contribute in tax. Work is the best route out of poverty and that is why the government is investing £6 billion in labour market support over the next three years to help people move into, and progress in work. This builds on the success of the Plan for Jobs, with over 2 million fewer people expected to be unemployed than previously thought.

Standard of Living

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the effects of inflation on living standards.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Economies are experiencing high inflation, mostly due to pressures from rising energy prices and disruptions to global supply chains. These global pressures are the main driver of higher inflation in the UK. The Government’s commitment to price stability remains absolute. The Bank of England is responsible for controlling inflation – since the Bank became responsible for controlling inflation it has averaged close to the 2% target. We understand that inflation, if higher than income growth, can reduce households’ real incomes, and that higher prices can increase the cost of living for people and households. That is why we have taken targeted action to help families with the cost of living, including through freezing fuel and alcohol duties, the energy price cap, the Warm Home Discount and the £500m Household Support Fund to help the most vulnerable families this winter. We are also making work pay by reducing the Universal Credit taper rate from 63% to 55%, increasing work allowances by £500 per year and increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the European Union regarding the extension of planned alcohol duty reforms in Great Britain to Northern Ireland; and what were the results of such discussions.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: As set out in our Command Paper in July, we are seeking a more flexible settlement with regard to the Northern Ireland Protocol to ensure all of the UK can benefit from tax changes, such as the alcohol duty reforms announced at Budget. The Government will continue to discuss the application of alcohol duty reforms to Northern Ireland with the EU during the consultation period of the alcohol duty review.

Financial Services: Crime

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take, if any, in response to the publication of the Pandora Papers to tackle (1) tax avoidance, (2) money laundering, and (3) other financial crimes.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: This government is committed to making the UK a hostile place for illicit finance and economic crime. We are determined to crack down on dirty money and financial exploitation, to protect our security and prosperity. We have taken action through our ‘No Safe Havens’ strategy to ensure the correct UK tax is paid; and our landmark 2019 Economic Crime Plan outlines a comprehensive response to ensure the UK cannot be abused for economic crime.

Public Expenditure: Cost Effectiveness

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure value for money in public spending.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Spending Review 2021 has placed a renewed emphasis on ensuring that every pound of taxpayers’ money is spent well and focused on the areas that make the most difference to people’s daily lives. The government has set clear outcomes for what spending will buy; ensured that all decisions are informed by the best quality evidence; encouraged joint working between departments; and taken further action to drive out low value or inefficient spend. Following the efficiency and savings review earlier this year, Spending Review 2021 confirms savings of 5% against day-to-day central departments budgets in 2024-25.

Crown Estate Commissioners: Ilham Aliyev

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the Crown Estate regarding its purchase of a property from a company linked to President Aliyev of Azerbaijan.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Under the Crown Estate Act of 1961, The Crown Estate is operationally independent of government. Decisions regarding the sale and purchase of property are a matter for them.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultations they have (1) held, or (2) planned, with (a) Northern Ireland business representatives, (b) Northern Ireland consumer groups, and (c) Northern Ireland political parties, about extending alcohol duties reforms due to apply in Great Britain from 2023 to the whole of the United Kingdom.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: As set out in our command paper in July, we are seeking a more flexible settlement with regard to the Northern Ireland Protocol to ensure all of the UK can benefit from tax changes such as the alcohol duty reforms announced at Budget. The Government will continue to discuss the application of alcohol duty reforms to Northern Ireland with the EU and interested stakeholders during the consultation period of the alcohol duty review.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Members: Pay and Allowances

Lord Marlesford: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what would be the level of financial support for Members if it had been adjusted for inflation since 1 October 2010.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Daily Allowance rate was introduced on 1 October 2010 at £300 per day. If it had been adjusted annually for inflation by the Consumer Price Index, it would be £379 per day from 1 October 2021.